Button hole guide



Feb. 10, 1959 L. E. ROGERS 2,872,738

BUTTON HOLE GUIDE Filed Ma ch 27, 1958 FIG. 4 J

3o 35 l 34 m V 7/ v a i i l i l i INVENTOR. 4} gou' 1 32 FIG. I 20 1 TORNEY Unitd BUTTGN HULE GUIDE Louis E. Rogers, @lslahoma *City, .Uk'ia.

Application March 27, sass, Serial No. assess 4 Claims. (Cl. 33--19tl) The present invention relates todressmaking and more particularly to a device for properly positioning but-ton holes.

Many inexperienced searhs'tresses when using automatic button hole forming machines or attachments, experience difficulty in properly positioning the button hole 'acljacent'th'e edge of fabric ora garment. Problems encountered in positioning button holes comprise the spacing of the *button holes relative to each other as well as equally spacing the holes inwardly of the garment edge; and positioning the lengthwise dimension of the button hole parallel with or perpendicular with relation to the fabric or garment edge. An inexperienced seamstress using an automatic button "hole machine frequently finds-that the finished button holes are disposed at'various angles with respect to the garment edge resulting in an amateurish or unfinished looking garment. Furthermore, the inexperiencedseamstress has dificulty in gaging 'or estimating the length of button hole required by a particular button size.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a device which may be consecutively positioned in overlapping relation along a garment or fabric edge by which button holes may be marked upon the fabric.

Another object is to provide a device of this class preferably formed i": transparent material which is relatively small in over all dimensions.

Another object is to provide a device of this class which is substantially square ha ving parallel upper and lower surfaces at least one of which is indiciall'y "scored adjacent its periphery for repeatedly positioning the device along the garment edge.

An additional object is 'to provide "a device of this class which includes means for outlining a button hole position adjacent-a fabric edge.

Still another object is to provide a device of this character in which the base member is provided with a series of aligned equally spaced apart apertures extending across the base in perpendicular relation with respect to the longitudinal position of the button hole defining means.

Yet another object is to provide a device of this class incorporating means for gaging buttons of varied dian et'eis which dimensions may then be transferred to the surface of the fabric.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providinga square base member of transparent material having parallel upper and lower surfaces. The upper surface of the base is provided with'indicial marks adjacent its peripherial edge. The :base member is verticall-y slotted inwardly from one side a selected distance. A fixed upstanding projection is integrally carried by the upper surface of the base member adjacent the inwardly disposed end of the slot. A'n elongated movable member is 'slidably carried by the walls of the base defining the slot. The uppermost surface of the inwardly disposed end of the movable member is provided with an upstand- 2 ing --'projectioh whereby, buttons ofvarying diameter-shitty be received between the fi'x'ed element and the upstanding projection for gaging the diameters of buttons and which co-operate with the walls forming the slot to indicate the minimum length of button hole required by a particular button.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying-single sheet of drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective View of the device, illustrating in dotted lines, a button positioned thereon;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device in operative positionon a fra mentary section of fabric;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section view taken substantial'lyalong line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section view through one of the apertures in the base member; and,

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the movable element.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The re ircnce numeral lb indicates the device, as a whole, which includes a base member 12 formed of substantially fiat preferably transparent material. in the example shown by the drawings the general configuration of the base member 12 is square, however it is to be understood that the square configuration is not critical and that the base member may be formed rectangular, if desired. The overall dimensions of the device it) are not critical and the example illustrated is two and one-hair" inches square by approximately one-eighth inchin thickness. The upper surface 14 of 'themember l-Zis indicially marked or scored as at 16 adjacent the peripheral edge of the member indicating increments of measurement, such as inches. The base member 1-2 is further provided with a vertical slot it; which extends inwardly from one side edge Ztl parallel with respect tothe sides 22 and 2 4. The length of the slot 18 is such that it extends slightly more than one-half the distance between the side edge 20 and the opposing edge 26. As best seen in Fig. 3 the walls 19 of the base forming the slot converge toward the upper surface 14. The upper surface 14 of the base is deformed adjacent the inwardly disposed end of the slot .18 to form a fixed upstanding projection 28 of a selected height for the purposes more fully disclosed hereinbelow.

A movable tongue or element 39 is carried by the walls of the slot 18 for longitudinal sliding movement toward and away from the projection 28. The tongue St) is substantially equal in length to the length of the slot 18 and is substantially T-shaped in cross section (Fig; 3) having a shank 32 and a top or cross piece 34. The opposing sides of the shank of the T-shape are formed for contiguous contact with the upwardlyconverging walls 19 forming the slot; Depthwise the shank 32 of the T-shaped tongue is substantially equal to the thickness of the base member 12 thus disposing the top portion 34 of the tongue above the plane of upper sur-- face 14 of the base member. This permits the upper side portions 35 forming the ends of the T-shape, as seen in Fig. 3, to be extended outwardly over the adjacent upper surface 14 of the base in overlapping relation thus slidably securing the element within the slot. The opposing ends of the element 3% are provided with transverse upstanding projections 36 and 37 which project upwardly of the uppersurfa-ce 14 of the base a distance substantially equal to the height of the fixed element 28. The purpose of the projection 36 is to (to-operate with the fixed element 28 in contacting the periphery of a button as positioned therebetween fordetermining the diameter of the latter. The projection 37 on the outwardly disposed end of the element 30 facilitates manual movement of the latter longitudinally of the slot for positioning the projection. 36 adjacent the button. Measurement of the button diameter is accomplished by indicia such as increments of inches scored or printed on the surface 14 and adjacent at least one side of the slot 18 as at 42.

The base member 12 is further provided with a series of aligned and equally spaced apart apertures 46 open to the upper surface 14 and the lower surface 15 and extending across the base along the center line of the base between the sides 20 and 26 perpendicular with relation to the lengthwise dimension slot 18. The spacing between the apertures 46 is preferably correlated or proportioned with the indicia 16 so that they may be used in positioning the device 16 in co-operation with the measurements made by the marks 16. It is preferred that the relationship between the spacing between the apertures and the size of the base 12 be such that substantially one-half of an aperture 46 will be formed in each of the sides 22 and 24 for the purposes which will presently be apparent. The apertures 46 are preferably formed frustro-conical in shape, as is illustrated in Fig. 4, with the large end of the cone shape opening to the upper surface 14'. This permits a tapered or pointed ended marking instrument, such as a pencil or the like, to be inserted into the aperture for marking the location of the particular aperture wtih respect to a garment or fabric.

Operation In operation the device is positioned adjacent an edge of a garment or fabric 50 along which it is desired to form a series of button holes by placing the device on the fabric in overlying relation and aligning selected indicial marks of the measurements 16 along the edge of the fabric as shown in Fig. 2. A pencil or the like, not shown, may have the tip end thereof inserted into any one or all of the apertures 46 and thus mark such locations on the fabric as is indicated by the small circles 52. Thus with the spacing between the apertures 46 on the order of one-half inch apart, for example, the desired spacing between succeeding button hole locations may be easily ascertained.

In locating the button hole position the size or diameter of the button to be used is first found by placing the button between the fixed element 28 and the tongue projection 36 as explained hereinabove. After positioning the inward end of the tongue element 30 adjacent the periphery of the button the element 30 is left in such extended or opened position and the device 10 is positioned on the fabric at the position desired for a button hole. The spacing between the inward end of the element 30 and the walls forming the slot describe the minimum size hole needed for the particular button. The button hole position as outlined by the walls of the slot 18 is properly positioned parallel with the fabric edge by aligning certain selected ones of the indicial markings 16 on opposing sides of the base with the fabric edge. The button hole outline may then be formed by means of a pencil or the like which is moved around the walls of the device defining the button hole forming a mark on the fabric 50, as is shown by the outline 54. If it is desired to locate the button holes perpendicular with respect to the fabric edge the device is simply rotated 90 and the operation repeated, as explained above, which forms a button hole as shown by the outline 56. Rather than use a pencil the aperture location and button hole position may be defined by using pounce or some similar chalk-line or powdered material. On some fabrics and particularly where the fabric is not supported by a smooth base the powder or chalk material will tend to spread out on the fabric from the button hole, as outlined by the slot, resulting in an indefinite outlined position. This difiiculty is overcome by forming a shoulder or ridge 58, arcuate in cross section, which depends from the lower surface 15 of the base member adjacent the peripheral edge of the slot 18. The inwardly disposed end of the element 39 is similarly provided with a depending ridge which co-operates with the shoulder 58 by contacting the fabric and supporting the greater portion of the mass of the device 10 and thus little if any of the powder spreads outwardly of the limits of the button hole position as defined by the open portion of the slot.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the ap pended claims.

I claim:

1. A button hole guide, comprising: a square base member having substantially parallel 'upper and lower surfaces, said base member having a vertical slot extending inwardly from one side thereof, the walls of said base member defining the slot converging upwardly; a fixed element carried by and projecting upwardly of the upper surface of said base adjacent the inwardly disposed end of the slot; an elongated movable element, substantially T-shaped in cross section, slidably carried longitudinally by the walls of said base defining the slot, the top portion of the T-shape projecting outwardly of the lateral limits of the slot in contact with the upper surface of said base, said movable element having an upstanding projection extending upwardly from the upper surface of said T-shape adjacent its inwardly disposed end for movement toward and away from said fixed element permitting the engagement on the upper surface of said base member between said fixed member and said upstanding projection of buttons of varying diameter, the spacing between said fixed element and said upstanding projection indicating the minimum length of button hole required for the particular button and forming in co-operation with the walls of the slot an opening through said base outlining the position of the required button hole; and a shoulder, arcuate in cross section, surrounding the slot in said base and depending from the lower surface of the latter.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 in which the base member is provided with a series of aligned equally spaced apart apertures extending across the base along an imaginary line perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal axis of said movable member.

3. A button hole guide, comprising: a square base member of transparent material having substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface of said base member being indicially scored adjacent its periphery for consecutively positioning said base member along an edge of fabric in overlying relation, said base member having a vertical slot extending inwardly from one side edge thereof, the walls of said base member defining the slot converging upwardly; a fixed element carried by and projecting upwardly of the upper surface of said base adjacent the inwardly disposed end of the slot; an elongated movable element, substantially T-shaped in cross section, slidably carried longitudinally by the walls of said base defining the slot, the top portion of said T-shape projecting outwardly of the lateral limits of the slot in contact with the upper surface of said base, said movable element having an upstanding projection extending upwardly from the upper surface of said T- shape adjacent its inwardly disposed end for movement with said movable element toward and away from said fixed element for allowing the engagement on the upper surface of said base member between said fixed member and said upstanding projection of buttons of varying diameter, the spacing between said fixed element and said upstanding projection indicating the minimum length of button hole required for the particular button and forming in co-operation with the walls of the slot an opening through said base outlining the position of the required sen-r- 5 6 button hole when said base is selectively positioned ad- References Cited in the file of this patent jacent an edge of fabric; and a shoulder, arcuate in cross section, surrounding the slot in said base and depending UNITED STATES PATENTS from the lower surface of the latter.

4. Structure as specified in claim 3 in which the base 5 1 :tanton g 1 9 member is provided with a series of aligned equally spaced apart apertures extending along the center line of said 2,163,446 Helmhch 1952 base member perpendicular with respect to the longitudi- 2,786,278 Bates -s Mar. 26, 1957 nal dimension of the slot. 

